Morning sunlight filtered through the ancient trees of the Aetherwyn forest estate, birdsong carried on a calm breeze. Dew sparkled on the grass, and somewhere, a squirrel chattered indignantly at being ignored.
Aaron Aetherwyn sat cross-legged on a mat in the glade behind the mansion, surrounded by scrolls he couldn't read and spellbooks he didn't understand.
And mosquitoes.
He slapped his arm. "Seriously?"
Another buzzed near his ear. He flailed.
"Of all the magical beasts in this world, these are what I can't defend against?"
He looked at the red bumps on his arms and sighed. "Maybe I am weak. Even bugs ignore my presence. Maybe I don't even have a protagonist's bloodline—just mosquito bait blood."
A distant crash echoed through the trees, but Aaron didn't notice. He was too busy digging through an old tome he'd mistaken for a cookbook.
> "Beginner's Guide to Barrier Enchantment," the title read, but in ancient celestial runes.
Aaron furrowed his brow. "Alright. I don't know what this says, but it's got a picture of a circle, some sparkles, and a tree with a smiley face. That feels beginner enough."
He stood, focused, and drew a circle in the dirt with a stick. Then he stepped into the center and raised his hands.
"I command thee… bugs, begone!"
Nothing happened.
Then the wind stopped.
The birdsong ceased.
The shadows shifted slightly.
Above, clouds parted as an unseen force shimmered over the forest.
---
Thirty kilometers away…
A divine-ranked beast known as the Skyhorn Elk stood atop a ridge, sniffing the air.
It paused mid-chew.
The ground trembled faintly.
A celestial pulse rippled through the atmosphere—ancient, precise, and terrifying. The kind of signature that hadn't been felt since the days when stars walked the earth.
The elk froze.
Then it turned.
And ran.
It leapt through valleys, bounded over rivers, and fled past villages—leaving confused adventurers, scared farmers, and two fainting priests in its wake.
---
Back at the Aetherwyn estate…
Aaron swatted another mosquito. "Ugh, it didn't work."
He looked at the intricate circle he'd drawn, which now glowed faintly beneath his feet, pulsing with celestial energy no ordinary person could see.
"I must've messed up the chant," he muttered. "Should've added a 'please.' Or maybe a 'buzz off' instead of 'begone'?"
He looked down at the glade. Not a single bird or creature stirred.
Aaron frowned.
"Maybe it's just too early. Forest's probably still sleeping."
He didn't notice the distant sound of alarm bells echoing from watchtowers across the territory.
---
Meanwhile… inside the mansion…
One of the Duke's advisors burst into the solar room.
"My lord! The mana sensors around the eastern perimeter just… just spiked and collapsed!"
The Duke turned slowly from his telescope. "Collapsed?"
"Something repelled a divine beast. A Skyhorn Elk was seen fleeing from the ridge—sprinting, not gliding. It hasn't done that since the Black Star Calamity."
The Duke stood, walked to the window, and looked out across the peaceful estate.
"…Is my son still in the forest?"
"Yes, my lord. Meditating, apparently."
A pause.
"Deploy five silent watchers. No contact. Just observation. And prepare a report for the Grand Circle."
---
In the garden…
Aaron laid down, arms behind his head.
He smiled up at the sky.
"Still got a bite. I'm definitely not cut out for magic."
He closed his eyes and sighed.
"I just want a peaceful life… no bugs, no beasts, no trouble."
Above him, starlight shimmered faintly—responding to his mana without his knowing. The spell circle etched in the ground faded slowly, leaving behind an imprint in the grass shaped like a constellation.
---
End of Chapter 7